50 words: a FAKE challenge
by Poshu
Summary: Dorky title. A challenge to make 50 different words work together within your preferred fandom. This was so much fun. Check it out and maybe do one of your own!


I don't own FAKE, blahditty bladitty blah. I jacked these words from AeryoSun. This was a BLAST to write, I believe everyone has permission to use the words. (The WORDS only, no plagiarism you lousy cheaters out there!) Anyway. Hmm… I think my personal fav out of all of these is… Green… or maybe Metal…

Anyway, please enjoy and please read and review!

**Air**- Ryo Maclean never thought much about it. You breathe it in, you breath it out, sometimes it is cool and refreshing against your face and sometimes it is warm and palpable. Ryo never thought much about air and its properties, but knew that one needed it to live. Only after he met Dee Laytner did the concept come into play. It was an annoying thing, needing to breathe; having to inhale and pour life into your system. Ryo disliked it, he disliked anything that required him removing his attention away from Dee's lips and air was a number one threat on his list.

**Apples**- Bikky didn't understand it. Every day he would bring a lunch Ryo had made for him and every day he would have the task of pawning off his apple. Give it to a friend, an acquaintance, or even a total stranger. Carve an interesting design in it with a knife, use it for a catching game outside, or see how heavy something had to be to crush it. Bikky had too much respect for Ryo to just throw it away, but he could never just sit down and eat it. He knew Ryo was aware he never ate his fruit at school and hoped he would eventually give up trying to coax him into it. But every day Bikky brought his lunch and every day an apple would greet him at the bottom of the bag.

**Beginning**- JJ ran a hand through Drake's hair, loving the warmth under his touch. Drake gave an energetic smile and kissed him, not caring that they were in front of countless eyes in front of the precinct. Drake's mouth was inviting and warm, JJ moaned as he felt hands slide up his back and pull him closer. As he raked his fingers through the blonde hair again he smiled. It was a new beginning for him, and he was intent on making this one count.

**Bugs**- Carol didn't like this science project. Why of all times did she have to choose to such a horrible subject? Having Bikky and Lai around surely wasn't helping either. Both of them would snatch up a specimen out of the grass and toss it at her, making jokes to each other when she flipped. Ryo patted her shoulder; she lowered her gaze and wrote down more observations in her notebook. She officially regretted deciding to get over her fear.

**Coffee**- It was such a simple act, simply drinking coffee. Not even speaking because they were clearly not awake enough. Yet Drake could have been entertained by the world's finest. Just having those sleepy blue eyes across the table from him was a treasure. As he tipped his mug for another taste of his bitter drink he prided himself on getting JJ to spend the night. He thought of more plans to get him to stay as he downed his coffee, smiling at the bluenette as he put down the cup. JJ offered a sleepy smile in return. Drake got up to pour JJ and himself some more; he definitely liked coffee a lot more now, that's for sure

**Dark**- It was pitch black, Dee couldn't even see his own breath though he knew it was cold enough. He was poised against the brick wall, gun in hands hanging down between his knees. He could feel, rather than see Drake next to him. Ted was at the corner peering around to give them the signal. Dee took a few breathes, this would be one hell of a stake out. Some hot shot government official taking things too far, it didn't matter though, everything would be over soon. He thought of all the chaos that would ensue once they were inside. The alley was quiet, as is the calm before a storm. Dee smiled as he remembered these were the moments he lived for.

**Despair**- Despair was one of the worst emotions he could think of. He rarely witnessed it truly, fear; yes anger; yes denial; certainly. But despair? True rough riding, hopeless, traumatizing despair? Marty had seen it only a handful of times. Nearly all of them had been would-be victims and this one was no different. She sat on the couch in the living room of the house, the others investigated, interrogated or examined other matters in the other room; the would-be crime scene. The paintings and luxurious furniture made to look like a warm and happy place, a home full of success; a place of enabling. None of the comforts seemed to have any effect on her though. Marty almost didn't feel the need to interrogate her, the grip marks on her arms and the distant look of horror in her eyes told it all. This place was a hell hole.

**Doors**- There it was. Bikky could read the colored tab from here. 'Goldman'. All he had to do was reach over and snatch it off the shelf. A day visiting Ryo at work could prove to be more promising than even he had expected. Slowly he reached out for it; his thumb flipped the tips of the paperwork inside the folder. Everything he ever wanted to know about his father's business, everything about how he died. It was all right here. All his desire for this information from years earlier was bubbling in the pit of his stomach, yet he was hesitant to pull it off. No, more than hesitant. He was not pulling it at all. That's right. He walked away empty handed. Some doors were just best left unopened.

**Drink**- "Are you sure Bikky?"

"Yeah, just drink it already!"

Carol looked to him dumbfounded; it was very rare that Bikky would give up his club soda and especially for nothing! She looked to the blonde and almost laughed when she saw the slight blush on his face that he tried to hide by 'fixing' his hat. She curled up in the chair and opened the bottle, intending to enjoy every drop.

**Duty**- Bikky hated kitchen duty. He hated the dish water, he hated the crap on the floor he had to sweep, he hated the dust, and all the oil that had to be refreshed in Ryo's deep fryer. No, he didn't really hate all those things; he just thought he did when it was he who had to attend to them. And in actuality, Ryo's kitchen was very clean so what could have been hours of work was a simple thirty or forty minute task. Still, he hated it all and begrudged Ryo every minute of the way. The dark boy would peek over his shoulder to see if his foster father was still there, perhaps he could sneak away of he wasn't looking? Bikky never got far in this plan because Ryo was always there, keeping a watchful eye on him. They're gazes met and Bikky was suddenly pressed for something to say, something that might affirm that he wasn't thinking of bolting.

"I really hate doing this crap." He muttered. Ryo nodded.

"Then maybe you'll think a little more before you decide to skip school again."

**Earth**- It had been a long time. She was so cold and water drenched, the dirt and muck had taken their toll on her and she was sure she was hardly recognizable. The man who had killed her had left her in an alleyway. Where the darkness was deep and the smell of the earth was rich, or was that the smell of her own body? How far had she decomposed? How long had it been? She wasn't sure anymore, she was unsure of most things now. What she did know was that those men were the police and that her body had been found. The looks on their faces… she must be in bad shape. There was so much light, more than she'd ever seen in one place. She could just make out their faces, all looking down at her. Their eyes were all objective and disconnected like they were evaluating property. She had never been looked at like that before, like she wasn't even a person. That must be how they got through their jobs, 

she must be just a thing to them, just another thing…just another file on a shelf. For the first time since she had been killed, she felt sad about her own death.

**Fall**- Everyone could tell it was going to happen one of these days. Janet always tried to consolidate things and her load of files got bigger and bigger. No one ever made her carry all those at once, but she felt she had to. Everyone else worked so hard, why should she get an easy break? And her need to wear high heels certainly didn't help either. So when it finally happened that the load was too much or her heels were too high, she turned too sharply or whatever, she had to be in front of the detective she admired most. She practically crashed into him, bringing him down on the floor with her. Quickly Janet tried to whip up the scattered papers again and head off before she embarrassed herself anymore. Ted had to stop her and inform her that she was in fact, bleeding.

**Fire**- Drake stood in awe of him, the piercing gaze, the slight twitch of his hand as he shot, the fact that he never flinched when another gun went off right next to him. He loved to watch JJ in the firing range. The shorter man was as cool as the color of his hair, never faltering or missing a beat. Drake loved it because he could see JJ's fire. Yes, the man had a cool exterior, as did all cops while on the job. But it was when JJ was shooting that his fire was exposed. Drake was enchanted by it; he would stand at the pillar and slowly suck the coffee out of his cup, eyes fixed on JJ. He imagined that as he fired, JJ had the same burn inside him that was in his gun barrel. His eyes would spark and then cool off, covering up the energy that shooting his pistol had revealed. Drake caught it every time though. He knew that in those moments of shooting his gun, JJ was truly alive. That was a terrifying thought to some people that JJ loved what he did. But Drake knew better; JJ indeed loved what he did. He loved to shoot, he didn't love to kill.

**Flexible**- Ryo tinged at the feeling of hot breath against his ear. Dee murmured something seductive probably, but he paid no mind. Dee was doing enough to distract him as it was. Hands roaming up and down his chest, lips laving over his neck and his shoulders, Dee himself moving faster and faster into him. Ryo couldn't stop his body from arching back and moving against his lover.

"Damn, you're really giving it huh?" a dark voice came near his ear. Ryo could tell he was smiling, perhaps even smug with that tone of voice. Quickly he twisted around, latching his mouth to Dee's throat. He scarcely heard the gasp and the subsequent moan out of the younger man, but rather he felt the vibrations as he sucked, leaving a dark circle when he was done. As he turned back around he caught Dee's eyes. An amazed and seriously turned on look was there. Ryo smirked back at him, thrusting backwards to indicate he wanted more movement.

"I'm more flexible than you think."

**Flying**- There was only one word for it when the lights were beaming and the store fronts whizzing by. People were clamoring to either side and cars rushed to make way. The city people could tell when the police were in hot pursuit, Ted could sense a different energy about them as he and Marty drove. Their man was just ahead of them and his car was really making tracks. Ted could see the bluish smoke coming out of the exhaust; this car wasn't well maintenanced, perhaps that would help them out tonight. As they closed in on him the red head smiled. The only way they could have moved any faster was if they really had wings.

**Food**- While none of them spoke there was camaraderie among them. As they flipped through case files and evidence lists the pile of Chinese and cans of soda dwindled. Notes were taken and investigations were renewed, Forensics was sent data here and there, and Jim was asked for specific DNA evidence. Everything happened as it should, as it always had. None of the detectives had to go out today; it was a mass paper hunt and they were preparing their ammunition with files and testimony. These days were slow and went by with very little talk among them, yet at the end when all six got up to head home there was a smile from each of them to the others. While they all worked on different cases they were bonded just the same.

As they all headed out, the Chief smiled to himself and sipped his coffee. He'd have to put more into the take-out budget, because food definitely brought them together.

**Foot**- Dee was bored, the apartment was far too quiet for his taste and no one was around. He lay on the couch, resting after work. He thought to perhaps turn on the TV or the stereo. But both were remote activated. The remotes were on the coffee table a foot away, but he wouldn't reach out for them. He was tired and lazy that day and honestly he'd rather have Ryo entertain him. But the man was undercover today and wouldn't be home until some ungodly hour. Dee sighed in frustration and looked over. The remotes were still a simple foot away and he was still unwilling to reach for them.

**Grave**- It was such a simple thing, just a stone with nice scrolled lettering. In his mind he never thought much about it, as a child it was something he regarded as sad. Graves were for old people, they were cold and dark even the nice ones were uncomfortable. Graves were for people whose lives were lived and whose stories were over. But as an adult JJ knew differently; he had seen far too many kids, teens, young people who hadn't even begun their prime…all being prepared for a grave. It sometimes haunted him when he took up his sniper rifle. No matter how many people the person at the end of his scope had killed; who they had raped or how many they kidnapped. No matter how long they had searched for the target or how much chaos they had caused to do so. JJ never felt good about putting someone into a grave.

**Green**- Ted was shouting commands at the others as fast as he could; the headset Chief had given him was cranking out a fuzzy signal. But after years of being on this force, he could predict Chief Smith's moves and the operation should have moved smoothly. But there was a newbie, some punk who thought he knew better and went ahead and took the shot. The other side fired back, of course, and now he could hear sirens blaring and he faintly felt himself running over to where two EMT's were loading the guy onto a stretcher. He came face to face with him; still a kid, barely over 20. The look in his eyes could have brought tears. He could scarcely make out an apology and a story about how he didn't expect them to return fire. The words "I don't wanna die." stayed with Ted as the Ambulance sped off. The officer's terrified eyes pierced Ted's mind. He shook his head, "Still green."

**Head**- The shooting had come to a stalemate, eventually they would run out of bullets; and men regrettably. The backup arrived just in time to see the man behind it all being escorted out. The detectives recognized him immediately; some of the lower ranked officers removed their hats out of habit. He seemed to be traveling with an entourage rather than being taken to jail. He looked at no one, his head held high as he descended the stairs, as if he was still an honorable man. As if he could ever be an honorable man again after all this.

**Hollow**- Bikky was very excited when he got home from school. This was the first year he was allowed to hollow out a pumpkin and make the Halloween Jack 'o Lantern himself. He had doodled out various expressions with his friends at school and even tried his hand at carving with his trusty apple. He had the perfect idea in mind, as soon as his bag hit the floor he rushed to the kitchen to start on the orange fruit. In his excitement he failed to remember to check for mats or newspaper to put down and he almost failed to recognize Ryo's anger when he returned home to find his son and his kitchen dirtied with orange.

**Honor**-Chief Smith tossed the file onto his desk; yet another big blow out. The case had taken them months, the DNA samples were perfect, his detectives had all the trails, took all the signs; everything was starting to unfurl itself. Until it had to be a court magistrate behind all the deaths, it just had to be the public's favorite, it just had to be some sick bastard with enough influence to sweep this all under the rug. Chief Smith sighed and rubbed his throbbing temples. He knew the truth, his men knew the truth, and everyone in the whole damn precinct knew the truth! But the newspapers were being printed as he sat, just praying that the police force would have a little honor left intact by tomorrow morning.

**Hope**- Diana's expression sank when she watched the news; the huge story was the court elder supposedly gone awry. All the news stations were hawking the police force as a group of headless chickens looking for a fight. She knew far better than this and it disgusted her to see people in the city pushed to making up lies rather than accepting the truth. She flipped through all the news channels, seeing the same blame on each one. FOX, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, all of them… wait. She almost passed it up, not thinking it to be any different; but a tiny news station, a little more than local population program, was broadcasting film of the court case that led up to this whole fiasco. Testimonies of the witnesses and the victims' families played back to back with the magistrate's denial of all things. Put together like that his case didn't hold. Diana knew few people would get this, but a few was enough; just enough to sow the seeds of doubt in the hearts of people. She sat back and watched the rest of the news broadcast smiling. There was still hope left.

**Light**- "Drake, time to get up." JJ called as he flicked on the light. Drake mumbled something unknown and wrapped himself into the sheets even more. "Come on Drake. You need to get up."

"No. No light." The blond moaned as he readjusted to a more comfortable position. JJ sighed and decided to take the leap. He ran toward the bed and hopped on top of Drake, surely startling him into some level of consciousness.

"Yes. Light. We need to go to work today. Up!" JJ straddled Drake and lowered himself down. "If you don't get up… you won't get a kiss." He gave Drake's cheek a peck and rose back up. Drake rolled over a little so his mouth was facing up.

"No. You have to be up. Out of bed and totally up!" JJ chastised "I'm going to go make breakfast."

JJ was monitoring the eggs when he heard footsteps entering the kitchen. Drake was standing, already slightly disheveled looking, in the doorway. Without question JJ went towards him, gripping his collar and yanking him down, meeting his lips in a soul searing kiss. Drake was obviously breathless by the end but JJ was satisfied by the light moan he made. He pulled back, "Good morning."

**Lost**- Drake shut the folder quickly; he didn't want to linger on the pages anymore. The pictures inside haunted him now. The woman who had died and her little boy who had been orphaned, the mother he had promised he would avenge. He remembered the look in the boy's eyes when he grabbed his coat and tugged.

"You're gonna catch the bad guys right? You're gonna make them pay right?" Drake had patted his head

"Yeah… I'll get the bad guys."

He sighed heavily now, a closed case file for the boy's mother lay in front of him. She had been killed by a stalker, one whom she didn't share with anyone for fear her son would get involved somehow. Drake knew that it would have been easier had she said something, it would have been better if she had done 

something sooner. Part of him was angry that she didn't. Part of him said that none of those things should matter, he should be able to find the bastard anyway that's what cops do. But he knew that was just his childish side dreaming. Nothing could make nonexistent evidence appear, nothing could make the killer show himself, and nothing could bring that kid's mother back. He had to face it, they had lost.

**Metal**- Metal… it was just a piece of metal, just a little glint, hardly even a flicker in one's eye. The amount of metal it took to create it was not even enough to make a ring, or even a bit of a chain. Yet such an insignificant amount was enough to make such a dramatic difference in the world. Maybe that was nature's irony. Ted grieved to himself, the look on the kid's face still plastered in his mind's eye. He knew that it wasn't just the metal. No, it was hardly the metal at all. It was the aerodynamics, and force, and speed. It was tissue and it was blood. It was oxygen and fear and a fight to try to live. It had nothing to do with the tiny bullet received from the boy's chest. But Ted still hung his head over it. Such a tiny thing and that boy was gone, flickered out just as fast and unnoticed as the metal that killed him.

**New**- Drake and JJ collapsed in a huff in the middle of the living room. Most of the boxes were put away but it was still rather obvious that someone had just moved in. However, it was their first day and they decided to give it a rest. They sat back to back, JJ leaned his head next to Drake's.

"You think we should call it a night?" The blue-blonde simply nodded tiredly.

"Think we could knock one out and then call it a night?" Drake had an obvious energy about him.

"Drake, please."

"Come on. It's our new place. Why not make it 'ours'?" JJ could hear the smile in his lover's voice. He sighed.

"But the bed's so far away."

Drake got up and scooped the blunette into his arms. "That's alright, your easy to carry."

**Old**- Janet was jazzed as she threw another trashcan full of things away. It looked like she was spring cleaning except it was the off season. Occasionally passer bys would look up when she squealed with delight or did a tiny happy dance. What they couldn't see why she was especially perky. And that was because all her old personal 'files' were the ones being thrown out. All the old boyfriends and phone numbers, all the old gifts and photos, and all the old love letters were in the garbage. Janet's guilt and sorrow went with them, she practically beamed. As she spruced up her, now larger, working space she proudly taped a picture of Ted onto the side of her computer monitor.

**Peace**- The cases had ceased for the time being. All the major ones had been written up and filed away with Janet. The detectives had little more to do than menial paperwork checks and backups. This was usually a treasured time between officers, a time where their victories were to be celebrated or their losses to be assessed and lessons learned. But today there was only silence in the meeting room. The case was over, the magistrate was under heavy suspicion, but the cost of lives was heavy in the hearts of the detectives. There was to be no peace for them today.

**Poison**- Ryo stepped out of his office, neutral expression slowly melting off his face. He tried to tell himself it was just a simple briefing; that the Commissioner was just only looking out for his best interests. He knew better though, every word out of his mouth had a double meaning; every look had an ulterior motive behind it. If Ryo would just lift up the mask, like opening a door Berkeley himself would be revealed. This helped only to make things worse in his mind; Berkeley made every possible attempt 

to get him alone. It became clear to Ryo that Berkeley was no longer the man he thought he had been. The Commissioner left his office and pressed a hand to Ryo's shoulder as he passed. Ryo flinched after he left, rubbing the spot where he touched him, his skin practically itching. His eyes clenched shut remembering his smirk. The man was poison.

**Pretty**- They were out looking at something for Mother… Mother's Day was coming up and Dee wanted to get her a really nice pendant. Ryo had come along as a second opinion, but presently was failing as such. While Dee talked to a sales clerk Ryo browsed the glass cabinets and there he had found it. A platinum ring with three square cut diamonds in a row along its length. He had never taken an interest in jewelry before, but perhaps just the way the light caught it. It looked so… he hesitated to think it but… pretty. Yes, that ring was pretty. He stared at it for a long time, completely oblivious to the sales manager's encouragement and to Dee's thoughtful look.

**Rain**- The children were disappointed when they saw it was raining. There had been new playground equipment put up just a few days before and they were all still excited to take turns on it. But Mother Lane and the others supervised them and got them interested in their indoor toys. While they played, Mother dedicated some time to looking through the window. Outside it was a world of water, one could hardly see more than the distance to the corner store. She heaved a sigh, smiling inwardly. There was just something about a good rain to set you right again. Always it seemed that while the storm itself was ferocious, after it was over the world seemed just a little bit cleaner as if some of its evil had been washed away. Silently she prayed that this rain would do the same and went back to attending the children.

**Regret**- She regretted a lot of things. She regretted lying to her mom about her homework in grade school; she regretted not attending that graduation party with her classmates, she regretted getting a Saturn instead of a motorcycle like she wanted. But to Diana Spacey these were all petty things that probably would not have changed her life much had she done them differently. What Diana really regretted was Berkeley. She regretted not being on the police force, she regretted not being able to spend the kind of time it would take to woo him, she regretted living in Los Angeles. Sometimes when he looked at her, as only a big brother could, she regretted loving him at all. His eyes that could tell your entire story with him, from your history to your present and on into your future, gave her everything she needed to know. Diana regretted not being able to be mad about this, regretted not having anyone to cry with, not having a person who understood. But most of all, Diana regretted Ryo, because it is so hard to express your jealousy when you love your rival so much.

**Roses**- Ryo slammed the phone down tersely. Dee didn't have to look up to know he was upset and Ryo did not need to be asked to know Dee wanted him to talk.

"Nothing," He said "dead end"

Dee nodded and crossed the company name off the list. This was the sixth place that was either useless or required more thorough evidence to get anything out of. It was frustrating, not only because of the hardship they were facing trying to get some testimony but that he and Dee usually were able to crack some kind of trail by at least the fourth item. Yet here he was looking up item number seven and not having a good feeling. Usually with him and his partner working together initial investigation was much like a bed of roses. Well, as close as one can get in police work. That being true, this day was one of many when the thorns decided to sting.

**Secrets**- It was impossible to reach her now; the head contusions, the blood loss, the lesions all over her body. She was dead, dead as all the others that came across his 'desk'. Sometimes he went into auto pilot performing an autopsy and sometimes his mind lingered on the body. Just what was it that brought her here? How had this happened? Who did this? Why? What was the last thing she heard? Had she been scared? Had she even known what was happening? Jim Campbell knew these were all questions for the detectives upstairs. But down in the autopsy room he sometimes wondered… what if those victims could share their secrets.

**Snakes**- Marty and Ted flipped through profiles, here and there would be a picture or a description that sounded like their guy. But all in vain, none were proving promising. Less than half of them even alive anymore, and of the rest very few were still on the streets. So many alibis, both the officers remembered without having to say a word to each other. How each of them was really a kind gentle soul who wanted peace. Each one had a story, each one had a good reason for killing, or raping, or drug pushing. All of them were saints in their own minds, just trying to fight the big fight, just trying to stay alive. Ted scoffed at the binder as he slammed it shut. He had seen the truth in their eyes one by one. All of them were filthy, lying, snakes.

**Snow**- Bikky had been enthralled when school had been closed due to snow. Ryo supervised him dressing for going outside, making sure he really did put on that extra layer. As the boy ran outside to meet his friends Ryo caught his eyes. How bright and happy they were and he couldn't help but smile. As he watched them all play from the half moon window he reminisced. There were days when he too wished for school to be cancelled, when he too threw snow balls at his friends and traced out ridiculous sayings. But now Ryo saw snow differently. Now it was a sheer obstacle in examining a site and a site was always found on a snowy day such as this. Ryo looked to his work phone, almost waiting for the call. As he did he wondered briefly how much longer Bikky's eyes would stay so innocent.

**Solid**- Carol waited impatiently at the edge of the ice. She had always wanted to go ice skating on a real lake and the pond by her house had finally frozen over. School was out and she was doing it, no one could stop her. Except Bikky that is. He insisted on checking the ice before they got on it together. She had thought this incredibly brave and romantic of him, but he was taking an awfully long time. The temperatures had gotten way below freezing last night. That ice must be frozen solid, why else would she dare go on it without checking first? She hopped up, calling out to him that she was coming out. Bikky told her to wait a little longer but she wasn't listening. He ran to her and it within 4 steps it happened. The ice split and in he went.

**Spring**- He wasn't aware of just how the message had gotten to him. He didn't quite remember the sound of Carol's voice on the phone although he knew she had been panicked. He wasn't sure just how Dee got him to ride in the passenger's seat of his own car. The world itself was a buzz around him. Something about Carol's message had made him spring into action, take off from work and jet off. He remembered hearing 'Bikky' 'fall' and 'ice'. His son was in danger, that's all he knew. That's all he needed to know and he was gone.

**Stable**- Bikky would never admit that he liked it. All the attention he was winning from Ryo, Carol, even Dee. He had been stable for a week now but he was still being treated with kid gloves. Ryo had called him out for the next week of school. When he was allowed to go home Ryo carried him to his room and put him in his bed. Never would he admit that he liked getting soup on the couch, never would he admit he liked Ryo checking on him, never would he admit that he actually liked Dee's comment about being proud of him. He wouldn't admit to being more worried about Carol than himself, and he certainly wouldn't admit to loving being the hero for once.

**Strange**- It was starting to bother Ryo that Dee was acting quite strange. What he thought was an average quiet spell was growing into a month-long awkward silence fest. He decided he was going to get it out of him tonight, that whatever his problem was had gone on long enough, he was going to make Dee dinner and coax him to talk about it. Ryo was so intent on breaking into his partner's mind that he didn't catch the completely new aura around Dee when he came home. He didn't see the extra glimmer in his eye and he didn't hear the almost musical tone in his voice. Only when Dee put the box in his hands did he notice something was different. His eyes watered when it was the platinum ring from the store that lay inside. He had no idea.

"Dee, I."

"You're so clueless sometimes." Dee smiled, placing a kiss on his forehead.

**Summer**- He never thought much about it, he guessed he expected to be with a woman in white on this day. Some day in spring when the flowers were all in bloom and the sun was gentle. He in black and his bride in white, crowds of friends and family there to congratulate and support them. Ryo quickly brushed all those thoughts from his mind. He wasn't going to ever fulfill those thoughts. And besides, he liked summer much better now that he thought about it. He moved his pen around in the air over his calendar looking for a good date. When he found it he circled it and passed it to Dee, who smiled and nodded in agreement.

**Taboo**- Ryo panted heavily, clawing his fingers into Dee's back. The dark haired one smiled and sucked harder on the flesh at Ryo's neck. Hips ground together and even through both their pants Ryo could feel Dee. "No Dee, not here… please not here." He knew he was doing a crap job at pleading with him, partly because he found it exciting to do something so taboo. Dee recognized this and pushed him onto the desk, straddling him. Ryo attempted once more to stop what they both wanted. "Dee… not at work!"

**Ugly**- When he was a child Dee thought being a cop was the greatest thing on the planet. He looked up to Jess like a superhero. He could always find the bad guy and was always there just when you needed him. Cops were brave and heroic and awesome. They got to see all the cool stuff and even got to carry a gun! When he grew up he wanted to be just like that. But now as an adult, Dee knew all the other parts of police work; the ugly parts. The parts cops don't like to tell. The parts where sometimes you don't find the bad guy, the parts where the body you just found is some 8 year old girl, the parts where someone's gun misfires and kills one of your fellow officers. While Dee still loves his job and the heroism that comes with it, he is only too aware of the ugly parts. And like his dad, he keeps them his secret.

**War**- Ryo smacked the snooze button for about the third time in a row. He rolled over and buried his head under his arm. He didn't feel like getting up today, he didn't feel like going to work, he didn't feel like fighting a fucking war with all the punks in New York City. He just wanted to curl up against Dee and sleep some more. For once though there was no one there when he rolled over. There was a brief moment of disappointment before he noticed the smell of food wafting through from the kitchen. Dee strolled in to check on him, his face lighting up a little when he saw Ryo was awake.

"I called in a day off for the two of us. Come on, breakfast is ready."

Ryo sat there amazed "…Have I told you how much I love you?"

**Water**- Perhaps they were just trying too hard. Maybe they really did get addicted to caffeine. Maybe the winter was so cold that they needed the hot drink. Maybe they were just used to the hotness of coffee regardless of the weather. Whatever it was they were far too alert now. Most of the detectives were still grumbling about the rude awakening they had just received. All were too focused on their work to notice that Janet had slipped them all cold water. Now several of them were sputtering, papers and clothes were wet, and Janet could be heard down the hall laughing.

**Welcome**- Dee was almost asleep when Ryo returned home. Out of familiarity he ignored the sounds of him making something quick in the kitchen. The sounds, thought quiet, almost fooled him into thinking it was a decent hour and Ryo was actually home on time. That he wasn't falling asleep after waiting for him because he had planned a romantic evening for them. Or rather that's what he wanted to think. But overtime was overtime and sometimes the police department just couldn't be told 'no'. Dee didn't open his eyes when Ryo tried to slide gently into bed, but he welcomed the man into his arms just the same.

**Winter**- Ted didn't especially like the winter. He was more of a summer person himself and disliked having to bundle up so much to endure the cold. It made maneuvering at crime scenes harder and preparation to go out to a site longer. His clothes were more uncomfortable and hot food took some time to prepare. All in all winter was pretty annoying. But sitting on the couch, a sleeping Janet draped over him, Ted thought maybe winter wasn't so bad after all.

**Wood**- The officers of the 27th precinct stood outside the courthouse, all in silent awe. There it stood, a single raised plaque commemorating the police department's efforts. It wasn't in paper, nor was it on some cheap wooden sign that would be taken away two weeks later. It was engraved in stone on the side of the courthouse's stairs, facing the sidewalk for all to see. Ryo reached over and squeezed Dee's hand. For all the pain that happened this year, for all the pain that ever happens while being a cop, this memoriam was one of the things that made it all worth it.


End file.
